Review: The Legendary Starfy (NDS)

Written by Daniel Lloyd

Sunday, 28 June 2009 22:21

I don’t think I’ve kept it much of a secret that I have a certain fondness for the adorable, and it just so happens that Japan supplies quite a lot of cute. The latest game to capture this place in my heart is Nintendo’s The Legendary Starfy. After being a successful franchise in the east for several years (think of it as on par with Kirby,) the Big N is finally giving us yanks a chance to witness Starfy’s wide-eyed rainbow colored platforming.

Starfy, as you guessed, is a star. Spending most of his time underwater, he pals around with a wise mermaid, an elderly lobster, and an ever anxious clam. In his first American adventure on the DS he finds himself helping Bunston, an astronaut bunny recovering from amnesia. Remembering only that he needs to collect several crystal shards, Bunston slowly gains his memory back as the game progresses. The mystery is solved by the player pretty early on, yet the characters can’t catch up and spend the whole game figuring out the inevitable conclusion.

Gameplay is pure and solid platforming; nothing more, nothing less. Powers well known to the genre are gained in each new level, such as double-jumps, dash moves, and the ability to team up with Bunston and transform into a dinosaur, ghost, or baby beluga. In case you didn’t believe it when I said the game is from Japan, a star and a bunny can morph into a baby beluga. Yep.

It must be noted however, that the gameplay is INCREDIBLY easy. There’s a lot of running and jumping, a few easy puzzles, and boss battles you could win in your sleep. However, it never gets boring. There’s some sort of twist on each generic level. Yes, there’s a space stage, an ice stage, and a ghost ship, but things like swimming through rainbows, mine cart boss battles, and Rock-Paper-Scissor face-offs keep it fresh.

If you find yourself often wishing it was 1993, or have a fondness for the quirky, absurd, and cute, Starfy is a must. It’s 8 levels of platforming joy, with entertaining characters and several extras worth seeking out. A few bonus levels, mini-games, and my personal favorite, collections of different ridiculous and unrelated outfits for Starfy to mix and match on the pause screen round this out well. Throw in some 2 player co-op with the ability for a friend to play as Starly (Starfy’s pink twin sister,) and you’ve got yourself a wonderful nostalgia trip that still feels new.

YAY! - old school goodness, charming, plenty to do
NAY! - really really easy, sometimes tedious
For those of you who REALLY hate reading, or only learned to read numbers: 9/10

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